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My husband is applying for a job at UNC-Wilmington as an associate professor. We currently live in Washington, DC and want to move to a smaller, more affordable town. I think we can afford something in the 300s on his salary, I hope. I may be able to continue my job but it's possible I will need to look for one locally. Here are my questions about Wilmington...
Best schools and neighborhoods are...?
Weather seems like it's mild all year round, is that right?
Are there larger companies in the area? Will I have a hard time finding a job with a big company in that area?
What are the people like there?
from my understanding, the best schools are in the northern part of town. ogden and porters neck area. the schools in pender county are supposed to be pretty good. weather here is not too much different than DC, they just never get snow and the winters aren't as long. we had a few days here this winter in the teens. so it does get cold, it just doesn't stay as cold. the days where it is in the teens in the morning, it warms up by the afternoon. that's my recipe for a cold! the larger companies in the area are PPD, verizon, GE, and corning. those are the biggest ones I can think of. you might have a hard time finding a good job with one of those companies because of the volume of applicants. as for the people here, they are just like they are in the DC area. most are transplants. it's definitely not a "southern" town.
Hoggard is supposed to be the best school district in Hanover County. The weather here is great...mild winter with a few chilly days, spring is fantastic, hot/himid summer w/ coastal breezes, and a warm fall. High paying jobs are very competitive so expect to put in some work, there are quite a few pharmaceutical companies here-PPD, AAI, and also GE-Hitachi, Corning, Verion, the Hospital has the largest number of employees. You can certainly find a nice house for $300,000 in a good area. The people here are really nice and come from all walks of life. I have never met so many friendly people in one area...people are generally quite happy...oh and Wilmington is a "dog town" which is nice if you have pets. This area has a nice quality of life once you find your niche.
We love Wilmington!!! Our child goes to Friend's school. It's private but wonderful. We live in Ogden, Northern New Hanover and love our neighborhood. There are many beautiful homes in Ogden. Job outlook not so good...but things are less expensive.
I wholeheartedly agree with the last three posts. My family and I absolutely love it here and have met some of the nicest people. We are originally from Northern Virginia but have lived here for several years now. About a year ago, we moved down to Carolina Beach which turned out to be a wonderful choice on our part.
Bottom line, this area has a lot to offer...you just have to get out and enjoy it.
Best of luck with your search.
PS. The winters are generally mild here when compared to DC and points north.
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the larger companies in the area are PPD, verizon, GE, and corning. those are the biggest ones I can think of. you might have a hard time finding a good job with one of those companies because of the volume of applicants. as for the people here, they are just like they are in the DC area. most are transplants. it's definitely not a "southern" town.
